🐺 The first edition of Wolf Sports Weekly is here!

Welcome to the first edition of Wolf Sports Weekly! We are in the quietest part of the sports calendar, but NFL training camps are set to get underway with plenty of news to touch on. Oh, and College Football 25 is out!

🏈 Football is back (kind of)

Led by Ravens rookies arriving a few days ago on July 13, NFL rookies and veteran are beginning to report to training camp. Soon, we’ll be seeing full squads on practice fields, joint practices, and preseason action—and the season opener between the Ravens and the back-to-back defending champion Chiefs on Thursday, September 5 will be here before we know it.

Some of the top training camp storylines to watch include:

• The progress of the Bills’ revamped receiving corps and re-tooled roster overall.

• Second-year quarterbacks Bryce Young (likely now in a much better situation under new Panthers head coach Dave Canales) and Anthony Richardson (coming off shoulder surgery for the Colts) looking to emerge as top players.

• The acclimation period for first-round rookie quarterbacks: Caleb Williams (Bears), Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Drake Maye (Patriots), Michael Penix Jr. (Falcons), J.J. McCarthy (Vikings), and Bo Nix (Broncos).

• The Raiders holding a quarterback competition between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew while looking to build on a strong 2023 finish under head coach Antonio Pierce.

• Contract situations for star players like CeeDee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase.

💰 Private equity is coming to the NFL

In an interview with CNBC at the Sun Valley conference last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell discussed private equity ownership in the league.

• At a time when leagues are allowing private equity, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds to buy in, the NFL has essentially been the lone holdout.

• The commissioner noted the “tremendous amount” of interest in private equity, stating that the league believes it could make sense in a “limited fashion.”

• Goodell mentioned potentially limiting private equity owners to a ten percent ownership stake in teams.

• While private equity will be part-owners in franchises, their presence can help organizations fund things like stadium renovations.

Go deeper: The bottom line is private equity is coming to the NFL, which will only lead to an increase in massive franchise valuations.

📺 Bill Belichick joins Inside the NFL

Legendary former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is joining Inside the NFL in his latest media move during the year off from coaching. In the press release, Belichick said in part: “I’m thrilled to join my new team at NFL Films to work on such a historic television franchise.”

• Belichick was previously awarded a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Analyst for his role on the NFL 100 All-Time Team that aired on NFL Network in 2019.

• Ryan Clark, Chad Johnson, and Chris Long are the other three stars of Inside the NFL.

• Belichick is also making regular appearances on the ManningCast—ESPN’s alternate Monday Night Football broadcast—with Peyton and Eli Manning this season.

Inside the NFL is a natural fit for someone that has immense respect for NFL Films and the history of the game like the eight-time Super Bowl champion, and it’ll help keep him visible with rumors about his 2025 coaching future certainly set to swirl throughout the fall and winter.

📝 NFL news and notes

The Titans signed former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams, who spent the past four years with the Seahawks after beginning his career with the Jets as the sixth overall pick in 2017. Tennessee’s past couple of offseasons—which included adding veteran talent like Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, and L’Jarius Snead—have certainly been interesting, and we’ll be watching how all this veteran talent meshes in Year 1 under head coach Brian Callahan.

The Browns signed kicker Dustin Hopkins to a three-year extension reportedly making him a top-five highest-paid kicker in the league.

Fantasy players take notice: Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is going to play more at wide receiver this season. Remember, the super-talented tight end was not at 100% last season while battling a knee issue.

Vikings second-year receiver Jordan Addison was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He was allegedly found asleep behind the wheel and blocking a lane. Sadly, this comes days after the tragedy of his new teammate Khyree Jackson and two others being killed in an accident allegedly involving a drunk driver. Last year, Addison was arrested for going 140 MPH, which he said was because of an emergency with his dog.

Jaguars star pass rusher Josh Allen will now be going by Joshua Hines-Allen, giving name recognition to the maternal side of his family. (Also, it’s nice to not have two superstar players both named Josh Allen in the league anymore!)

The Lions are adding first-ballot Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson Jr. to Pride of the Lions, the team’s Hall of Fame. Johnson and the team didn’t have a great relationship upon his retirement, but they have come together the past few years. He’ll be inducted during Monday Night Football on September 30.

The Chargers unveiled “The Bolt”, an awesome new state-of-the-art training facility and corporate headquarters.

Commanders news: The team is hiring Scott Fitterer, who struggled as the general manager of the Panthers from 2021-2023, in an executive role. Also, Washington is bringing gold pants back to the uniform rotation for the first time since 2018.

Former Cardinals star safety and former Panthers vice president of pro personnel Adrian Wilson was arrested on domestic violence charges.

Social media highlights: Josh Allen is hilarious and Nick Chubb is different.

🙏 Rest in Peace

Former NFL receiver and returner Jacoby Jones, who scored two touchdowns (one receiving, one on a kickoff return) in the Ravens’ Super Bowl XLVII win, passed away at 40 years old.

Longtime coach Monte Kiffin passed away at 84. The elite defensive coordinator was the creator of the “Tampa 2” defense and won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Buccaneers. Though he passed on head coach opportunities, some believe he should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the top defensive minds in history.

Other Sports Updates

⚾️ We’re at the MLB All-Star break, and the Phillies currently have the best record in the majors (62-34). After Teoscar Hernández won last night’s Home Run Derby, the All-Star Game is tonight at 8:00 PM ET on FOX.

😳 Oklahoma State star running back Ollie Gordon II will not be punished after a DUI. Head coach Mike Gundy says having Gordon play is best for the program, and “if there’s any punishment, it’s making him carry the ball 50 times in the first game.”

💪 Reds rookie Rece Hinds became the first player in MLB history with five extra-base hits in his first two career games among numerous other feats in a scorching start to his career.

⚽️ Championship soccer: Spain defeated England to win the 2024 EURO, and Argentina topped Colombia to win the 2024 Copa America.

🎾 Wimbledon 2024: Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the men’s final, and Barbora Krejčíková won on the women’s side.

🐺 Found on wolfsports.com

• 2024 Jets fantasy preview

• 2024 Giants fantasy preview

• 2024 Saints fantasy preview

• 2024 Patriots fantasy preview

• Roger Goodell discusses private equity in NFL

• Fantasy mock draft 5.0: auction draft

• Top teams to use in College Football 25

• Latest MLB power rankings